I'm on Another Planet with You

Earlier today, a former student of mine posted that she's selling her seven-month-old blue-nosed pit for $350. The puppy has been giving her a lot of trouble, chewing and destroying her things, since she got him. She's at her wits end and just wants him gone.

I commented, very nicely, that she shouldn't get rid of her dog, that it might be difficult now, but he's only a puppy, and soon enough he'll stop destroying her things. I told her that in the meantime, she should keep him crated, give him chew toys, leave nothing destructible within his reach, and maybe consider behavior training. I also told her that my dogs give me so much happiness, and my life wouldn't be in any way complete without them. I also mentioned that she made a commitment to him--to him, a puppy, not an object--and she shouldn't just get rid of him.

Comments (all nice and civil) went back and forth, and at one point, a girl said that everybody has an opinion, but nobody's in the situation and should just leave the original poster alone and let her do what makes her happy. To that I wrote an admittedly snarky comment about how my sons break things and are ruining my house, and I clearly should have gotten rid of them when they were young. And then the other girl--this girl, to be specific (it's a link, click on it!)--entered the conversation.

She said, and I quote (copied and pasted--you know very well the grammatical errors aren't mine), "I am a mother of three lovely children, a cute as dog, and a sexy ass Horse. Ther os no way in HELL you can compare the love of a mother to her children, to any damn animal in this whole world!!! [Name omitted] YOU DO YOU! Nobody helpd [Post ends abruptly. New post] Nobody helps you clean up dog shit, and pick up all the stuff the little darling destroys! get rid pf the little terror, if thats whats going to make you HAPPY!"

Rationally, I responded, "Noelby, maybe you can't compare the love of a mother to an animal, but I certainly can. And this isn't to [Name omitted] or meant to offend her, it's in response to what you said, but did she think somebody was going to help her clean the dog shit when she bought it? Did she research owning a puppy and all the responsibility that goes along with it? I'm guessing no to both answers which is exactly why hundreds of thousands of pets are in shelters and up to a million are euthanized every year--because people have a piss poor, lackadaisical attitude like you do--if it's not easy, get rid of it. Animals aren't inanimate objects that should be bought and surrendered at will. Quite frankly, your statement and attitude disgust me."

She then asked me what I would do if my house were on fire--if I would save my "precious dogs" or my sons. First of all, I have to say, what the hell does a Sophie's-Choice situation and my house being on fire have to do with the price of tea in China (God, I love that expression)? The original poster wasn't selling her dog because she had to choose between him and her children. Clearly this Noelby girl is either unbalanced, or none too bright (I think I have to go with the latter on this one).

Even though her question was irrelevant, I humored her with a response.

I told her that we actually had a plan for that very situation, and, yes, my dogs would be saved "because they're that important to us." I also told her, and , again, I quote, "We didn't get rid of them when they caused us trouble that cost us over one thousand dollars; we didn't get rid of them because we can't ever take a vacation where we can't drive anywhere or because it's almost impossible to find a hotel where we can stay with two sixty-pound dogs because we take them everywhere with us; we didn't get rid of them when we realized we have to vacuum twice a day because they shed so much because we understand that, as human beings, we are responsible for taking care of those that we've committed to loving and taking care of, no matter how inconvenient it may be."

Her response? A well-thought out, "Kelly you live in another planet."

To which I have to respond, Really? Really??So...why exactly do I live in another planet (as opposed to on one, as people usually do...how exactly did I get in there? A really big shovel?)? Is it because I don't think animals are here to buy and sell at our whims? Is it because I love my dogs like I love my children? Is it because I feel that people have a responsibility to honor our commitments and protect things that need to be protected? Is it because it makes me sick how she encouraged the original poster with a " YOU DO YOU!" because, like so many other people, selfishness rules her world? What exactly is it that implies I live in another planet? Is it because I'm not a self-centered, inarticulate bitch? You know, like this girl, to be specific (it's a link, click on it!).